I am pleased to announce that Ms Natasha Laing, Ms Amanda Mansini, Ms Alison Burt, Mr Paul Glass and Ms Gillian Eldershaw have been appointed as judges of the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia (FCFCOA) (Division 2) (formerly the Federal Circuit Court of Australia).
These recent appointments mean that 51 per cent of current sitting judges in the FCFCOA (Division 2) are now female. This is the first time a federal court has recorded 51 per cent current sitting female judges.
The number of sitting female judges across the federal courts as a whole is now at a record 44 per cent.
Ms Natasha Laing has been appointed to the Sydney Registry and will commence on 6 April 2022. Ms Laing was admitted as a lawyer in the Supreme Court of New South Wales in 2010. She was called to the Bar in 2017.
Ms Amanda Mansini has been appointed to the Melbourne Registry and will commence on 6 April 2022. Ms Mansini was admitted as a solicitor and barrister in the Supreme Court of Queensland in 2006.
Ms Alison Burt has also been appointed to the Melbourne Registry and will commence on 6 April 2022. Ms Burt was admitted in 1993 as a solicitor in England and Wales. She was later admitted as an Australian legal practitioner in 2015 in the Supreme Court of Victoria and was called to the Bar in the same year.
Mr Paul Glass has been appointed to the Melbourne Registry and will commence on 6 April 2022. Mr Glass was admitted as a lawyer in the Supreme Court of the Australian Capital Territory in 2007. He was subsequently called to the Bar in 2011.
Ms Gillian Eldershaw has been appointed to the Sydney Registry and will commence on 6 April 2022. Ms Eldershaw was admitted as a solicitor in the Supreme Court of New South Wales in 2005 and was called to the Bar in 2009.
On behalf of the Australian Government, I congratulate Ms Laing, Ms Mansini, Ms Burt, Mr Glass and Ms Eldershaw on their appointments and thank them for their willingness to serve the people of Australia as judges of the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia (Division 2).
Ms Natasha Laing
Ms Laing graduated with a Bachelor of Commerce-Marketing and a Bachelor of Laws (Hons) from Macquarie University in 2009.
Ms Laing commenced her legal career as a lawyer at Herro Solicitors in 2010. From 2011, Ms Laing was employed by Clayton Utz as a lawyer and then senior associate. She was called to the Bar in 2017 and has practised as a barrister specialising in migration law. Ms Laing is a member of the Women's Club Sydney and the Law Society of New South Wales.
Ms Amanda Mansini
Ms Mansini completed her Bachelor of Business and Bachelor of Laws from the Queensland University of Technology in 2005.
Ms Mansini commenced her career as a solicitor at McCullough Robertson in 2005. In 2006, she worked as an associate to then Senior Deputy President Richards and current Commissioner Spencer within the Australian Industrial Relations Commission. Ms Mansini also worked as a senior associate and solicitor at Freehills (now Herbert Smith Freehills) and as a Workplace Relations manager at the Australian Resources & Energy Group, where she was promoted to Director, Workplace Relations & Legal Counsel. In 2018, she was appointed as the Deputy President of the Fair Work Commission.
Ms Alison Burt
Ms Burt completed her Bachelor of Arts (Hons) and Bachelor of Law from Queens' College, University of Cambridge in 1989. She later attained her Master of Laws from Monash University in 2015.
Ms Burt commenced her career as an articled clerk at Bindmans LLP in London in 1991. In 1993, she became a solicitor at Eve Wee and Co, London, and in 1995 she subsequently joined Gillian Radford and Co, London. In 1997, Ms Burt returned to Bindmans LLP as a solicitor and was promoted to partner in 2004. In 2009, she became a partner at Covent Garden Family Law in London. In 2010, Ms Burt was appointed as a Deputy District Judge of the County Court of England and Wales. Since 2015, Ms Burt has worked as a barrister in Australia.
Mr Paul Glass
Mr Glass graduated in 2007 with a Bachelor of Science (Psychology) and Bachelor of Laws from the Australian National University.
Mr Glass commenced legal practice as lawyer in Farrar, Gesini Dunn in 2007, joined Dobinson Davey Clifford Simpson in 2008 and from 2009 to 2011 was a Senior Family Lawyer at Victorian Legal Aid. Mr Glass became a part time member of the Administrative Appeals Tribunal in 2016. He has also been a member of the Law Council of Australia, in the Family Law Section, from 2011 to 2017. In 2018, Mr Glass was appointed a Family Law Magistrate in the Family Court of Western Australia. Finally, in 2021, Mr Glass became a Senior Judicial Registrar in Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia.
Ms Gillian Eldershaw
Ms Eldershaw graduated from Charles Sturt University with a Bachelor of Nursing in 1995 and from the University of Sydney with a Bachelor of Laws (Honours) in 2004.
Ms Eldershaw worked as a solicitor at Allens Arthur Robinson in that firm's litigation practice group from 2005 until being called to the Bar in 2009. Since 2009, Ms Eldershaw has worked as a barrister in three different firms: Wentworth Chambers from 2009 to 2010, Culwulla Chambers from 2010 to 2021 and finally Waratah Chambers from 2021 where she is working presently. Ms Eldershaw's principal areas of practice are family law and employment-related disciplinary matters.
